Welcome to eChalk

Welcome to the eChalk community, your Web-based communication
and resource network. Using eChalk, you can connect with any and all of the students,
teachers, parents, and administrators within your school and in the larger academic
community. You'll be able to:

Moving around eChalk

As you move around from screen to screen within eChalk, you may have
to use the scroll bar and arrows on the right and bottom borders of the window to
view another part of a screen. Keep this in mind if you can't find a button or feature.
For example, if you're following a procedure and the instructions say: "Press OK
to continue", you may have to scroll to the bottom of the screen to see the
OK button.

To scroll up and down:

Place the mouse pointer on the downward pointing arrow
at the bottom right corner of the window and click to move downward on the screen,
or

Place the mouse pointer on the scroll bar on the right edge of the window,
and then click and drag it down.

Click the upward pointing arrow or drag the scroll
bar up to move up the screen.

To scroll across:

Place the mouse pointer on the
right or left pointing arrows at the bottom corners of the window and click, or

Place the mouse cursor on the scroll bar along the bottom of the screen and drag
across.

How do I get to the homepage?

What's on the homepage?

Let's look at a few features of
the homepage you can view and use before you even log in.

Note: Not all of the features
and content areas listed below will necessarily appear on your school or district
homepage. The Site Manager and Site Administrators for your site have determined
which content areas will display.

Daily Announcements, Site Message, and Local Weather

Daily Announcements are posted by the Site Manager or other officials at your school.
In some schools, they may be used to announce important information such as school
closings or class cancellations. In others, they might simply display the school
motto or mascot.

A Site Message may display after the announcements. The Site Manager
can use the message to highlight an individual (e.g. principal, teacher, or student)
at your school/district on the homepage.

Your Local Weather may also be posted on
the homepage and automatically displays under the reference calendar to show both
the current and next day’s forecast.

Directory

Located in the side toolbar, the Directory provides the ability to search for and view a directory of faculty &
staff and find out more information about classes taught at your school. The Directory
may include:

District Listing - a list of all the schools within your district

Faculty and Staff - a list of the faculty and staff of your school categorized
by department

Class Pages - links to pages that show class work and events, resources,
and an announcement

Group Pages – links to pages that show group events, resources,
and an announcement

Resources

The Resources section of the homepage includes links
of interest that your school/district's site manager has created. These links are
shortcuts to other Web pages, school news, information, and surveys. To view these
resources:

Click the Resources link in the side toolbar.

Click one of the
links located in the Resources section.

Click the Home button on the top toolbar to return to the homepage.

Upcoming Events and Calendar

A list of upcoming events
and a calendar are displayed on the homepage and are maintained by the Site Manager
or other officials at your school.

This is a public calendar because it can be viewed
before you log in to eChalk. This means anyone who accesses your eChalk homepage,
even if they aren't members of your community, can view it. Therefore, for the safety
and security of students, and everyone else in a school, only events deemed appropriate
for viewing by the general public will be displayed on this calendar. Once you've
logged in to your school site, a more detailed calendar can be accessed from the
side toolbar. Since only students, parents, teachers, and administrators can log
in to eChalk, the information on the private calendar may be more specific.

To view the events on the calendar:

Click the View Monthly Calendar link at the bottom of the
Upcoming Events section of the homepage.

Note: Both school and district-level
events can be listed on this calendar.

To view the next or previous month's calendar:

Click the red arrow to the right of the month to move forward a month.

Click
the red arrow to the left of the month to move back a month.

Printing the school calendar

To print the school calendar:

From the monthly calendar view, click
the printer icon at the top of the calendar. A printable view of the calendar will
open in a new window.

Click OK to print the calendar, or choose Print
from the
File menu in the browser’s menu bar.

Tip: If you're using the MS Internet Explorer
browser follow these steps to make the printed calendar look the same as the screen
version:

Click Tools/Internet Options on the main menu bar of your browser.

Click the Advanced tab.

Scroll down to the Printing Options section.

Check the Print background colors and images box.

Click the OK button at the bottom
to close this window.

Once you've saved your settings follow the instructions
listed above to print the school calendar.

School Address and Map

The school address,
fax and phone number appear at the bottom of the homepage. To view a map of your
school's neighborhood, click the Locate School
icon under the school address.

Contact Us

To send email to eChalk, your Site Manager, or school administrator, click the
Contact Us link at the bottom of the homepage.

Class Email Alerts

Subscribing to
class email alerts

By registering to receive class email alerts, parents can keep
up to date on announcements, upcoming events, homework submissions, and other class
information on a daily or weekly basis, or only when relevant new content is added.

To subscribe to receive automated class email alerts, you must complete a Parent
Registration Form that will be set up by your school or district and linked to somewhere
on the homepage. It will ask you to submit some of the following information (as
established by your Site Manager):

First and Last Name (required)

Email Address (required)

Mailing Address (if required by Site Manager)

Phone Number (if required by Site Manager)

Student Name (if required by Site Manager)

Student ID (if required by Site Manager)

Last 4 Digits of the Student’s SS# (if required by Site Manager)

Each required field is marked with a red asterisk (*).
If a field does not appear
with an asterisk, the site you are registering on does not require this information
to subscribe.

In the field provided, enter the verification code exactly as it
appears in the box above that field.

Click the Register button at the bottom
of the screen. Once you’ve registered, you will receive an automated email message
from eChalk with your username (your email address) and password. Once you log in,
you can change this password to something you can easily remember. For more information
on logging in to eChalk for the first time, see Logging in for the first time.

Setting up your class email alerts

On the Edit Email Alerts page, you must identify
the child(ren) and class(es) for which you wish to receive email alerts and the
frequency with which you would like to receive the alerts. To add a child, click
the Select Children
button.

Click the Add Student button to add a child to your list. In the
Student Details box that appears, enter the necessary information, which
may include the student’s School, Grade, First
Name, Last Name, Student ID, or the
Last 4 Digits of SS#, according to the requirements that have been
set by the Site Manager. Each required field is marked with a red asterisk (*). When you are finished, click the Save
button to add the student. The page will refresh and the new student’s information
will appear in the Student Information listing.

Note: If the system cannot locate the student, you will be prompted
to enter the name manually.

Once you’re finished adding students, click Next to return to the
Edit Email Alerts page.

The classes with which each student is associated with should display automatically
in the Select Classes section of the page when you select
the desired student from the drop-down menu. Check off the classes you would like
to receive email alerts for. If you would like to receive class email alerts for
an additional class, click the Add Classes button. Note: If
the system could not locate the student and you entered his/her name manually, you
must also select his/her classes manually.

The classes that have already been selected (if any) will appear in the
Assigned Classes section of the screen. To add more classes, click on the
Add Classes button and browse the listing of classes that display under Available
Sites. Click on the folder icon to the left of the subject name to
see and select from the classes within a specific subject area. Select the checkbox
next to the class name to add that class to the Assigned Classes
for which you receive email alerts. You may also click the Select Sites
button to get access to classes offered at other schools within your district.

In the Schedule Email Alerts section of the Edit Email Alerts
page, choose the day(s) of the week on which you would like to receive an email
alert for the selected class(es). If you would like to receive class email alerts
only when the content related to these classes has changed, also check the box for
Only send me an email when content has changed.

Note: If you are signing up to receive class email alerts relating
to multiple children, you must receive all class email alerts on the same schedule;
it is not possible to specify a different schedule for the alerts relating to each
student.

Click the Save button at the bottom of the page to schedule your
class email alerts. You will be returned to the My Account > Profile
page, where the information regarding the selected child(ren), class(es), and email
alert schedule will display.

Editing class email alerts

To edit your class email alerts:

On the My Account > Profile page, click the Edit Email Alerts
button.

To add or delete a child from your list, or to edit a child’s information, click
the Select Children button. Click the Add Student
button to add a child to your list. In the Student Details box that appears,
enter the necessary information, which may include the student’s School,
Grade, First Name, Last Name,
Student ID, or the Last 4 Digits of SS#, according
to the requirements that have been set by the Site Manager. Each required field
is marked with a red asterisk (*). When you are
finished, click the Save button to add the student. The page will
refresh and the new student’s information will appear in the Student Information
listing. Click Save to return to the Edit Email Alerts
page.

Note: If the system cannot locate the student, you will be prompted
to enter the name manually.

To delete a child from the list, click the Trash icon link next to the child’s name. You will be asked
to confirm the deletion. Click Yes
to remove all scheduled class email alerts associated
with this student or No
to cancel the deletion.

The classes with which each student is associated with should display automatically
in the Select Classes section of the page when you select the desired
student from the drop-down menu. If you would like to receive class email alerts
for an additional class, click the Add Classes button. Note:
If the system could not locate the student and you entered his/her name manually,
you must also select his/her classes manually.

The classes that have already been selected (if any) will appear in the
Assigned Classes section of the screen. To add more classes, click on the
Add Classes button and browse the listing of classes that display
under Available Sites. Click on the folder icon to the left of
the subject name to see and select from the classes within a specific subject area.
Select the checkbox next to the class name to add that class to the Assigned
Classes for which you receive email alerts. You may also click on the
Select Sites button to get access to classes offered at other schools
within your district.

In the Schedule Email Alerts section of the Edit Email Alerts
page, choose the day(s) of the week on which you would like to receive an email
alert for the selected class(es). If you would like to receive class email alerts
only when the content related to these classes has changed, also check the box for
Only send me an email when content has changed.

Note: If you are signing up to receive class email alerts relating
to multiple children, you must receive all class email alerts on the same schedule;
it is not possible to specify a different schedule for the alerts relating to each
student.

Click the Save button at the bottom of the page to schedule your
class email alerts. You will be returned to the My Account > Profile
page, where the information regarding the selected child(ren), class(es), and class
email alert schedule will display.

RSS Feeds

Subscribing to RSS Feeds

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. RSS is used to publish frequently updated
content such as, calendar events, announcements, and news headlines. An RSS document,
which is called a “feed,” “web feed,” or “channel,” contains either a summary of
content from an associated Web site or the full text. Subscribing to RSS feeds is
a convenient way of keeping up with the new content on the eChalk Web site by receiving
automated updates, as opposed to checking the relevant sections manually.

You can
sign up to receive an RSS feed for any of the sections of content on the homepage
where an orange RSS feed icon appears.

How to subscribe to an RSS feed:

On the
school or district homepage you’re viewing, click on the square orange icon next
to the heading of the content area (e.g. Daily Announcements,
Upcoming Events) for which you wish to subscribe to receive an
RSS feed.

Choose one of the listed
providers (e.g. Google, My Yahoo, or My MSN) to host your RSS feed for this eChalk
content area. To search for other providers, click the
Subscribe button on the far
right.

Your selected provider will take you through the necessary process to
add the new RSS feed. Note: Alternatively, cut and paste the URL provided on the Subscribe
to RSS Feed page to add this RSS feed manually.

Once you’ve completed the subscription
process, click the Back to Homepage
link to return to the school or district homepage.

Logging in for the first time

The first time you log in to eChalk, you'll choose
a new password and set up your personal profile. This is a one-time process; the
next time you use eChalk, you'll only have to log in with your username and password
to go directly to your Account
page.

Read the terms of the Acceptable Use Policy and click the Accept button to continue. (If you
click the Do Not Accept button, you will not be able to continue setting up your account.) The My Profile > Change Password page will display.

Type a new password and retype it to confirm
it. Your new password can be any combination of numbers or letters. (Choose wisely;
your password should be easy for you to remember, but impossible for others to guess!)

Click the Submit button when finished. The My Profile >
Edit page appears. For more information about how to proceed from here, see
Setting the My Profile page.

Setting the My Profile page

Part of logging in to eChalk for the first time is reviewing
and setting your profile. The information displayed on your Profile page depends
on the type of account you have: student, parent, teacher, or administrator. But
regardless of what type of account you have, you must verify that your name and
account type are correct. If not, please stop and contact your Site Manager.

Note: If you are logging in for the first time, you will be taken
directly to the My Profile > Edit page after accepting your site's
Acceptable Use Policy. To learn how to work with this page, skip to Step #4 in
the workflows described below.

Teachers:

Click the My Account button in the side toolbar.

Click the Profile button in the side toolbar under My Account.

Click the Edit Profile button.

In the Position in School box, scroll through the options in
the drop-down menu provided and choose your position.
If you hold several positions within the school, choose one which most accurately
describes your main responsibilities.

If desired, select
a question from the Forgot Password Question drop-down menu, and
enter the answer in the Forgot Password Answer field provided.

Designate (by selecting or deselecting the checkbox provided) whether your profile will be
Publicly Visible to the Internet or not.

In the Grades and Class Information section, place a check next to the
Grade(s) you teach.

You must also indicate which courses you teach. This is VERY important because
this is one of the ways other members will find you in a search.

To select your
courses:

In the Subjects and Courses section, scroll through the Choose Subject
listing and select the desired subject. For example, select English to see all the courses
offered by the English department at your school.

Once you've selected this broad category,
chosee the specific course you teach from the Add Course(s)
listing.

The selected course will now display in the Your Subject/Course listing
to the right.

Continue
to highlight courses until all the
courses that you teach appear in the list. To remove a course from the Your Subject/Course listing,
highlight that course and click the Remove Subject/Course button.

Once all the courses for a particular subject are selected, you may have to
repeat this process for a different subject.

In the Personal Information section of the page (which you can expand by
clicking the light gray Personal Information header bar), you may
include information such as your phone number, biography, office hours, room
number, and even a message on your profile by typing this information in the appropriate boxes.
This information is optional for completing the first time login. If you want to
add this information later, you may do so by editing your profile. See
My Profile for more information.

Click the Submit button at the bottom of the My Profile >
Edit page to complete
the login process. You will see a Welcome message reminding you of your
eChalk username, user type, and email address. Click Continue to begin
using eChalk.

Administrators:

Designate (by clicking one of the buttons) whether your profile will be
Publicly Visible to the Internet or not.

In the Position in School box, scroll through the drop-down
menu provided and choose your position.
If you hold several positions within the school, choose one which most accurately
describes your main responsibilities.

If desired, select
a question from the Forgot Password Question drop-down menu, and
enter the answer in the Forgot Password Answer field provided.

Designate (by selecting or deselecting the checkbox provided) whether your profile will be
Publicly Visible to the Internet or not.

In the Personal Information section of the page (which you can expand by
clicking the light gray Personal Information header bar), you may also include information such as your phone number, biography, office hours,
room number, and even a message on your profile by typing them in the appropriate
boxes. This information is optional for completing the first time login. If you
want to add this information later, you may do so by editing your profile. See
My Profile for more information.

Note: If your site has decided to enable users to enter a secret
question and answer then teachers and administrators will also be able to select
a question from the Forgot Password Question drop-down menu, and
enter the answer in the Forgot Password Answer field.

Click the Submit button at the bottom of the My Profile >
Edit page to complete
the login process. You will see a Welcome message reminding you of your eChalk
username, user type, and email address. Click Continue to begin using
eChalk.

Staff:

Designate (by clicking one of the buttons) whether your profile will be
Publicly Visible to the Internet or not.

In the Position in School box, scroll through the drop-down
menu provided and choose your position.
If you hold several positions within the school, choose one which most accurately
describes your main responsibilities.

If desired, select
a question from the Forgot Password Question drop-down menu, and
enter the answer in the Forgot Password Answer field provided.

Designate (by selecting or deselecting the checkbox provided) whether your profile will be
Publicly Visible to the Internet or not.

In the Personal Information section of the page (which you can expand by
clicking the light gray Personal Information header bar), you may also include information such as your phone number, biography, office hours,
room number, and even a message on your profile by typing them in the appropriate
boxes. This information is optional for completing the first time login. If you
want to add this information later, you may do so by editing your profile. See
My Profile for more information.

Note: If your site has decided to enable users to enter a secret
question and answer then teachers and administrators will also be able to select
a question from the Forgot Password Question drop-down menu, and
enter the answer in the Forgot Password Answer field.

Click the Submit button at the bottom of the My Profile >
Edit page to complete
the login process. You will see a Welcome message reminding you of your eChalk
username, user type, and email address. Click Continue to begin using
eChalk.

Students:

Click the My Account button in the side toolbar.

Click the Profile button in the side toolbar under My Account.

Click the Edit Profile button.

If you want to add a Photo to your profile page, click
the Browse button to upload a photo from your local computer. Note:
This photo will be visible to the public only if your site has enabled this
feature; otherwise only you will be able to see it.

If you wish to add your Biography to your profile page, enter the desired
information in the text box provided. Note:
This text will be visible to the public only if your site has enabled this
feature; otherwise only you will be able to see it.

If desired, select
a question from the Forgot Password Question drop-down menu, and
enter the answer in the Forgot Password Answer field provided.

Click the Submit button at the bottom of the My Profile >
Edit page to complete
the login process. You will see a Welcome message reminding you of your eChalk
username, user type, and email address. Click Continue to begin using
eChalk.

If you wish to add your Biography to your profile page, enter the desired
information in the text box provided.

Click the Submit button at the bottom of the My Profile >
Edit page to complete
the login process. You will see a Welcome message reminding you of your eChalk
username, user type, and email address. Click Continue to begin using
eChalk.

Click the Submit button at the bottom of the My Profile >
Edit page to complete
the login process. You will see a Welcome message reminding you of your eChalk
username, user type, and email address. Click Continue to begin using
eChalk.

Self-registered
parents:

If desired, select
a question from the Forgot Password Question drop-down menu, and
enter the answer in the Forgot Password Answer field provided.

Add or edit your contact information (including phone number, alternate email
address, and mailing address) using the fields
provided. Note: If you change the external email
address that appears, remember that you’ll need to use this new email address as
your username the next time you log in.

The page will display the wireless settings that have been entered for you to
receive your emergency alerts. To make changes to these settings, choose a
Mobile Carrier from the drop-down menu and enter a Mobile Phone Number
in the field provided.

Click the Submit button at the bottom of the My Profile >
Edit page to complete
the login process. You will see a Welcome message reminding you of your eChalk
username (the email address you entered). Click Continue to begin using
eChalk.

I forgot my password. What do I do?

If you forget your password (or
need your temporary password to log in for the first time), follow these steps:

Click the Forgot your password? link in the login area on the Homepage.

Follow
the instructions on this page for contacting your Site Manager. Your Site Manager
will be able to provide another password for you.

If you are a teacher, administrator
or parent, answer the Forgot Password
Question, and if you answer this correctly
you will be logged into the site. Note: If your site has not implemented this feature, this option will not display.